


All Who Wander

by soonuwus



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Accountant Wonwoo, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BooSeok are KSY's very ridiculous culinary apprentices, Butcher Mingyu (beefy), He is also surrounded by a bunch of culinary dunces, M/M, Mild Language, Minor Boo Seungkwan/Kim Mingyu, Patissier/Pastry Chef Soonyoung, Romance, Very French Oui Oui Baguette Soonie, Wonwoo experiences some nebulous anxious feelings about his chosen career path, suggestive content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-08-07 17:38:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16412924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soonuwus/pseuds/soonuwus
Summary: “So, why don’t you try to prove it to me?” Wonwoo asked.“I’m sorry… what?” Soonyoung gaped.“What you said before. Can you prove to me that you’re sweeter than all of the pastries in your shop?”“Oh… I…” he rubbed the back of his neck with more fervor this time, “Well, really, you’d have to try all of my pastries first. You know… to be fair!”“Well, then I’ll just have to come back every day before work.”(The one where Wonwoo is hopelessly lost and finds his home in a Pastry Chef named Kwon Soonyoung)





	1. And I'm empty and aching and I don't know why

**Author's Note:**

> This has been a work in progress for at least a month now and I'm so excited to finally share it!  
> Inspired largely by too many conversations with the lovely KPJ, (butcher! Mingyu is my early christmas gift to you), too much time spent watching parts unknown, and the ever-growing want inside me to drop everything and go to culinary school  
> Special thanks as well to Kitty, Liz, Jigme, Amber and Cat for reading through this and encouraging me!!  
> I hope you all enjoy my little passion project!

The incessant _click-clack_ of a thousand footsteps on the sidewalks, the closing _chsshh_ coming from the doors of a city bus, and a symphonic chorus of _beeps_ and _honks._ This was Wonwoo’s favorite part of the day. His ten minute walk to work was at least ten times as exciting than any one hour from 9 to 5 at the accounting firm. He always cherished the short time he got to spend in the hustle and bustle before he ended up trapped behind the cheap partition walls of his cubicle for the next 8 hours or so. Lately, however, he had really been trying to savor each moment, becoming antsier with each hesitant step he took toward his destination.

As of late, Wonwoo found himself waking up with what he could only discern to be a twist of anxious nerves in his gut. He remembered the feeling well from middle school, but he had thought he would outgrow it for sure by the time he escaped puberty. He did, at first, but now it was back, and he was beginning to wonder if some kind of twisted second-puberty was a normal thing to go through.

He had only really confided in Mingyu about this, of course.

“Yeah,” his best friend had answered when he asked him if he had any idea what kind of feeling he was talking about, “But I went through that shit… sometime back in college. When I was thinking about dropping out.”

Mingyu trailed off and eventually noticed a very despondent looking Wonwoo slumping even further downward in his chair.

“Come on,” Mingyu said with a scoot toward his friend so he could rest a reassuring hand on the other man’s shoulders, “You’ve always been a late bloomer, Wonwoo. You’ll be fine. Maybe you just need to search for another job.”

Wonwoo sat back in his chair and shot Mingyu a vacant, discontented glare. Wonwoo felt like he did everything right. He stayed on one track in school, decided what he wanted to do earlier than anyone else, and followed that path. He had spectacular grades in math and had a good head on his shoulders. He got an internship before he even graduated and got hired by his firm right out of university.

Now, though, he was beginning to wonder if he had always wanted more. He had started to feel stuck, for lack of a better word. Sure, he had three figures, benefits, and most importantly: the unwavering respect of his parents… But was it all worth it? Worth feeling like he missed out on some fundamental part of growing up, or chasing his dreams, whatever the hell they were. He realized he had never really had time to think about that, his dreams. He began to wonder whether Mingyu had the right idea all along.

“Wonwoooo,” Mingyu crooned, gripping his friend’s shoulder tightly, “You’re great at what you do. You just need a change of pace. I bet you can find a new job that’s just as reliable, one that you actually like. You know?”

Wonwoo thought back on that exchange as he walked down the street on one particular Monday morning. Swipes of Gray filled the sky above him, seemingly drowning the cityscape in desaturated tones. It seemed as though the sky could not decide whether it wanted to rain or not, and Wonwoo understood that feeling quite well.

One thing Wonwoo _really_ cherished about his morning walk was his stop for coffee. Maybe it was incredibly clichéd of him, but he always looked forward to his morning coffee. Mingyu bought him a french press last christmas that he would often use at home so he could save a couple bucks, but every so often he found it cheered him up a bit to stop at his favorite café and splurge on an iced americano.

On this cloudy day, however, it seemed like Wonwoo was going to have to forego his early morning coffee. He was shocked and distraught to see his favorite café, the one right along his favorite route to work, had closed. They’d moved uptown, just north of his firm’s offices. He cursed under his breath and kept walking.

As he silently sulked along, he scanned both sides of the street for another decent-looking café. At this point, he really didn’t give a shit how late he was to work. He had filed 5 applications last week at other firms and offices, anyway. He just wanted his goddamn espresso.

He passed a few restaurants until he came upon a whimsical looking storefront, windows filled with fairy-lights. Alongside the many stale gray office buildings (he was coming up on the borders of the financial district) stood a charming little storefront, the sign painted a deep blue and covered in white stars. _Wanderlust Pâtissierie_ was scrawled along the length of the sign in a bold, silver script. _What the fuck is a “Pâtissierie?”_ Wonwoo couldn’t help but think. Yet, he opened the door to the storefront, and stepped inside, his curiosity taking the helm for now.

Wonwoo’s old tattered dress shoes clacked against blue and white tile as he entered. He was greeted by a silver L-shaped pastry case that spanned the walls of the tiny shop. The walls were white, covered in tiny murals of blue stars. The shop seemed empty, and rather humble. He spotted two steaming coffee pots sitting on burners in the corner.

As his eyes explored the quaint little shop, a man walked out from the back. He was shorter than Wonwoo by several centimeters. He wore a white chef’s shirt that was bunched up around his arms, displaying his elbows and a pair of hands covered in flour. He wiped them on his apron and pushed a wisp of dirty blonde hair out of his eyes.

“Good morning, sir!” he greeted Wonwoo, clearing his throat and meeting his gaze from behind the counter, “How can I help you on this beautiful day?”

Wonwoo briefly recalled the shades of gray that had painted the sky his entire walk to work.

“I was just wondering if you had coffee.. Espresso, preferably,” he inquired, matter-of-fact.

“Ahh,” the man behind the counter scrunched his nose a tad and rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand, “See, I have espresso, but I only brew it to pour over the ladyfingers for the tiramisu. But I do have some good old-fashioned drip coffee. Strong and delicious.”

He smiled toothily, clearly trying to make a sale to Wonwoo, who got a little distracted by the way the corners of the man’s eyes upturned just ever so slightly as he smiled with his whole face, nose scrunched up again and cheeks puffed out.

Wonwoo got the urge to pinch himself and instead just glanced down at his watch. He was already five minutes late.

When his eyes moved from his wrist to meet the other man’s gaze he spotted an expectant smile on the baker’s face. Wonwoo didn’t even have to respond for the man to turn back toward the back counter and grab the coffee pot. He poured Wonwoo a coffee in the largest to-go cup.

“Audacious of you to assume I wanted a large,” Wonwoo finally responded with a sardonic smile and the rise of an eyebrow. The other man snickered.

“You look like someone who drinks a lot of coffee. Besides, you’re wearing a suit. You’re walking uptown, toward the financial district, right?”

Wonwoo glanced down at his black shoes and his gray suit. He even had a briefcase in hand. He realized he couldn’t look any more like a caricature of himself in that very moment.

“You probably have a long day ahead of you,” the man smiled knowingly and handed him the large cup of coffee, which Wonwoo accepted as he thumbed through his back pants pocket for his wallet.

“Ahh, touché,” Wonwoo responded, pretending to be unamused by the way this man just bore right into his soul. He held the coffee cup and his wallet in one hand as he thumbed through it. He offered a couple bucks to the baker.

The snide man in white just leaned against his little old cash register and bore even deeper into Wonwoo’s soul, his sharp eyes widening a bit as he smiled slightly.

“Yeah.. A long day ahead of you, I bet,” he mulled aloud, “Maybe you need something sweet to help get you through it, don’t you think?”

Wonwoo blinks not once, but twice, and almost feels the need to physically pinch himself this time. Was this man… flirting with him? _No,_ he eventually decides, after what feels like far too long for him to just be standing there, shocked. _He’s just trying to make a sale. You haven’t had your coffee yet. You can’t be trusted to understand the nuances of human interaction this early on this trash-heap of a day,_ he silently tells himself.

“Sorry, I’m not really into sweets,” Wonwoo confesses, hand still outstretched, thumbing the dollar bills. He wasn’t lying, either. Wonwoo was never terribly into sweet foods. He even drank his coffee black, and typically preferred the more bitter taste of espresso.

“Bullshit,” the man retorted boldly, once again causing Wonwoo to wince just a bit at his unbelievably jaunty attitude. He seemed to realize how forward that remark was, so the man took it down a notch before continuing.

“This pâtissier has something for everyone,” he said confidently, raising a thumb to his chest. The thumb then found a place on his chin as he turned away to walk along the pastry case. He made audible _hmmmm_ sounds as he opened the back-doors of the case, inspecting his collection for… well, something.

He wasn’t wrong when he claimed his shop had a lot of variety. Wonwoo saw many different types of what he recognized to be italian pastries and cookies, as well as many more traditional asian pastries, like chinese mooncakes. He even saw some danishes, and some chocolate croissants.

“Are you allergic to nuts?” The baker asked urgently, his eyes lighting up. He had small eyes, and Wonwoo had noted earlier the way that the corners upturned while he smiled. When they widened he wore the gaze of an excited child, especially, considering the way his mouth kind of hung open in a loose O shape whenever he asked a question.

Wonwoo just shook his head in response. The man, looking satisfied, proceeded to grab a piece of wax paper from the back counter, along with a brown paper bag. He opened the door to the very last pastry case, all the way toward the front of the store, and grabbed a little triangular pastry. It looked like several stacks of flaky dough all stuck together with… something. With what… Wonwoo had no clue.

The man in white rolled up the paper bag and handed it to Wonwoo, promptly accepting his cash as well. He handed him the change, only charging him for the coffee.

“The pastry’s on the house this time,” he said, “It’s baklava. Let me know how you like it.”

“Oh, and next time you stop in, make sure you ask for Soonyoung. I’m the owner. You work in the area, right?”

Wonwoo, exhausted and in a sort of trance, not wanting to leave for work, but tongue-tied nonetheless, could only muster a nod.

“Then I’ll definitely be seeing more of you. I’ll try to have some espresso brewed for you next time,” he responded with an earnest but playful grin.

Wonwoo thanked the man and threw his change in the tip jar on top of the pastry case. He bid him farewell, and begrudgingly headed toward the firm.

The rest of Wonwoo’s day was pretty uneventful, but at lunchtime, he sat alone in his cubicle and opened the brown paper bag. He pulled out the tiny pastry, its stickiness coating his fingertips. The taste of honey and walnuts danced upon his palate, the crunchiness and sweetness perfectly complemented by the flaky dough. He took another bite, savoring the taste, and he couldn’t help but remember Soonyoung’s sweet, boyish gaze.

 _Maybe sweets aren’t so bad,_ he thought, grinning as he licked honey from his fingers.


	2. You Make My Dreams Come True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So,” Wonwoo said, picking up half of the roast beef sub, “I met this guy.”  
> Kim Mingyu, butcher extraordinaire, didn’t respond with words. He was reduced to a high pitched squeal as he leaned in a bit closer to Wonwoo, waiting for more.  
> “It’s not really like that…” Wonwoo tried to shut him down and took a couple of bites from his sub, trying to stave off the heat rushing to his ears. At this, Mingyu just smirked. He knew, in fact, that it was like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back. The updates will be pretty on for a couple weeks but then I'm going to be preparing to move (I should have the bulk of it written by then, and I already have a lot done) so bear with me if I am not timely!! Thank you!!  
> Another special thanks to Kitty for being my partner in crime and enabling self-indulgent bullshit like this. Thank you for helping me craft this special iteration of Mingyu (he is so near and dear to my heart)  
> Seriously, if you like this fic she is as much to thank as I am. Shout her out and check out her art @kittypauljones on twitter  
> Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy!!

Wonwoo had spent the rest of his week resisting the sudden craving for sweets that had befallen him since he met Soonyoung. On one very trying Wednesday night, he ended up in his local bodega at 11 pm stalking the freezer case for a good Ben and Jerry’s flavor. He eventually settled on some Goya cookies that didn’t even hold a candle to Soonyoung’s baklava.

The following day, he decided to take a long lunch and head to Mingyu’s butcher shop. He’d always had a tendency to wander into Mingyu’s shop when he wanted to talk. 

It was a little corner shop, luckily only a 10 minute walk from Wonwoo’s office. Mingyu opened up in the financial district because he wanted to sell artisanal meat (Kobe, Wagyu, Brisket, Porterhouse… you name it, he’s got it). He had a feeling he could really make a killing in this neighborhood since people who make more are willing to spend more, especially for higher quality products. This was one of Mingyu’s many schemes that the ever so cautious and calculating Wonwoo disapproved of. “The rent’s too high! You’ll never break even!” Wonwoo scolded him after running the numbers not once but twice.

Yet, Mingyu remained defiant as ever. He’d already dropped out of college with a couple thousand in student debt racked up, which meant, as Wonwoo claimed, that he had everything to lose. 

After Mingyu returned home from his butchery apprenticeship in Manhattan, he asked his father for a small investment and he opened his shop. There, just blocks from Wonwoo’s new job, it stood, and it flourished. After a couple years, Mingyu had finally broken even and was beginning to pay off his debt. He sold cured breakfast meats and bread to the elderly in the mornings and he had a huge lunch crowd (Mingyu had also taken to making sandwiches with his fresh roasted deli meats). His busiest hours, however, were Friday and Sunday nights, when many customers stopped in to pick up prime cuts of beef and pork for their family dinners.

Wonwoo opted for a later lunch, so he could avoid the rush and chat with Mingyu. He walked through the door around two in the afternoon, the  _ diiing _ of the bell alerting Mingyu to his presence. His friend emerged from the back, clearly happy to see him.

“The usual?” Mingyu asked, to which Wonwoo nodded. He grabbed a copy of the latest financial paper stashed in the corner of the store and sat down. He took note of the album Mingyu had on: Voices, One of Mingyu’s favorites.

Mingyu walked out not even five minutes later with Wonwoo’s roast beef sandwich, plated with a pickle and some barbecue potato chips.

As he approached Wonwoo’s little table in the corner, a smug grin quickly filled Mingyu’s face.

“Wonwoo, why are you singing along to Hall and Oates?”

Wonwoo had to pause and stop his idle humming, now suddenly hyper aware of the fact that he had been absentmindedly singing along to  _ You Make My Dreams. _

Mingyu practically stumbled all over himself trying to grab the chair from the table opposite and pull it to sit across from Wonwoo. He had placed the sandwich on the other table.

“Spill,” Mingyu said, amused. He always knew when something was up with Wonwoo, and singing along to the happiest-go-luckiest Hall and Oates song  _ definitely  _ meant something was up.

Wonwoo just leaned over to glance behind Mingyu and look at his sandwich, sitting abandoned on the opposite table.

“I’m not giving it to you unless you promise you’ll talk. You know it’s on me, but I deserve at least a bit of hot gossip as payment.”

“Fine,” Wonwoo sighed, exasperated. Mingyu always did have the temperament of an over-excited puppy. If he had a tail, it’d be wagging right now. He grabbed Wonwoo’s sandwich and placed it in front of him on their table. Then, Mingyu propped his elbows on the table and stared at Wonwoo expectantly, like he was a kid waiting for a bedtime story.

“So,” Wonwoo said, picking up half of the roast beef sub, “I met this guy.”

Kim Mingyu, butcher extraordinaire, didn’t respond with words. He was reduced to a high pitched squeal as he leaned in a bit closer to Wonwoo, waiting for more.

“It’s not really like that…” Wonwoo tried to shut him down and took a couple of bites from his sub, trying to stave off the heat rushing to his ears. At this, Mingyu just smirked. He knew, in fact, that it was like that.

“So, he’s making all your dreams come true,  _ huh? _ ” Mingyu finally replies with a knowing eyebrow bob.

Wonwoo just kept eating his sandwich while his ears turned a deeper red with each passing moment.

After Mingyu decided he’d had his fun teasing his friend, he sat back in his chair and began on a more serious line of thought.

“I think it’s great, Wonwoo. You’ve been complaining about feeling lost and aimless lately. Maybe this is just what you need. Sure, a new job would do you well, but you haven’t been  _ involved  _ since college. You have a lot going for yourself and I think you’re ready to take on the task of finding someone to share it with.”

“Ahh,” Wonwoo responded, trying to finish chewing a mouthful of roast beef before he spoke, “But I  _ just  _ met him. And I hardly said a word to him. Sure, he’s cute but…”

Mingyu just stared at Wonwoo, wondering what kind of excuses he’d try to come up with to get out of this one.

“I don’t know if I’d be his type. He seems so… vibrant.”

“That’s  _ good  _ Wonwoo. You need someone like that. Hey… maybe he needs someone more level headed around.”

Wonwoo scoffed.

“I barely even know him but he just seems… out of my league.”

“What does he do?”

“He owns a bakery. That’s where I met him. Actually.. it’s called a Pâtissierie or something like tha-”

Mingyu cut him off with an enthusiastic gasp.

“You’re in love with the guy who owns Wanderlust Pâtissierie. Oh my god!” Mingyu chuckled.

“What? You know him?”

“Not really,” Mingyu answered, “But kind of. I stop in there in the mornings every so often for a treat. He’s amazing. I have talked to him in passing… He went to culinary school in Europe.”

Wonwoo just sat and listened. Mingyu may as well be  _ speaking  _ French to him as far as he was concerned.

“Come to think of it… how did you even end up in his shop?” Mingyu asked. He knew Wonwoo wasn’t much for sweets.

“My favorite café closed, so I was trying to find another place to get some coffee on the way to work. It just caught my eye.”

Mingyu sat back and put a finger to his forehead, narrowing his eyes at Wonwoo.

“Are you telling me, Jeon Wonwoo, that you walked into this man’s fine establishment and deigned to purchase a measly cup of coffee and nothing else?”

Wonwoo refused to meet Mingyu’s gaze. His friend had a habit of getting all fired up about food. That was something he found to be common in each culinary artist he met.

“Wonwoo… that’s the man’s life. His art.” Mingyu said, wildly gesticulating (a habit of his that only seemed to become more exaggerated during his time in the big apple).

“He pours a drop of his soul into each one of those little pastries… and you disrespect him by purchasing nothing but-“

“No,” Wonwoo raised his voice just a tad to interrupt.

“He practically chased me out with a baklava… but he didn’t charge me for it.”

Mingyu just scoffed at him

“And how was the baklava, Wonwoo?”

Wonwoo wore his ceremonial sulk face as he responded.

“Really good,” he offered, begrudgingly, “I want more.”

“Then go back tomorrow, Wonwoo! The man gave you a free fucking baklava. I’ll bet he did it because he  _ liked  _ you.”

Wonwoo just sat, pensive, rhythmically rapping his fingers on the table.

“The least you can do is  _ thank  _ him for it. Jesus…” Mingyu stood up after taking a couple deep breaths and turning away, taking Wonwoo’s cleaned plate with him.

“Oh,” he stopped himself, turning back toward his best friend, “Make sure you tell him how much you liked it. Trust me… every time a man compliments my cooking it gets me going.”

Wonwoo just smiled softly, feeling a bit more validated, the slightest bit of Mingyu’s confident aura being absorbed after the encounter. 

Mingyu turned back once more before heading into the back.

“Especially if he’s handsome,” he teased with a wink.

 

\----

 

Wonwoo woke up on Friday morning with what he thought, at first, to be the same anxious nausea he had become so accustomed to lately. He sat up in bed and glanced at his phone. 7:08 AM. He had at least an hour before he had to be to at work. He remembered his conversation with Mingyu and his silent pledge to return to the pâtissierie to thank Soonyoung for the baklava.

That was when he felt the nerves in his stomach take a slight turn from anxious to… something else entirely. Perhaps it was  _ butterflies? _

_ Goddamn, _ Wonwoo thought to himself as he lay back down with a thud on his firm mattress. Why was he acting so childish over this? He hadn’t felt like himself for a while, but life throwing a monkey wrench in the form of a really beautiful, charming baker named Soonyoung right into his most recent existential crisis sure was not helping. He had only even met the man once, and their meeting was not anything special to begin with. Why was he agonizing over it?

He remembered Mingyu’s words of reassurance (and his figurative kick in the ass for being so rude to one of his fellow culinarians) and thought he should at least give it a try.  _ Just once,  _ he thought, gaze fixed upon his ceiling,  _ I’ll go in today. Just one more time, to see what happens. _

So, after falling in and out of sleep for the next forty or so minutes, Wonwoo decided to get out of bed and grab a quick shower. He figured getting an early start couldn’t hurt. He cleaned himself up, put on one of his work suits, and grabbed his briefcase. With that, he was off.

Wonwoo took in the sights and sounds of the city today, like he always did. It was sunnier out than it was on monday, but the gradual graying of the buildings as he headed uptown remained the same as always.

He checked his wristwatch: 8:20. Plenty of time to butter Soonyoung up a bit (though he had no plan of action when it came to that) and still make it to work on time. He told himself he wouldn’t freeze up and act clueless and rude like he did last time. Things like this just made Wonwoo nervous, honestly. He was in his mid-twenties, but he still didn’t really feel comfortable flirting or even attempting to make friends with others. Mingyu was the last friend he could remember making, and he met him years ago in college. Plus, Mingyu just kind of… latched onto him and started following Wonwoo around like the little puppy he was. So  that was not really Wonwoo’s doing.

Wonwoo turned down the Boulevard and began the final tredge toward his fated encounter. He realized he was about a block away from Wanderlust Pâtissierie and he could have sworn he felt the butterflies in his stomach boil over, filling his whole body with some strange tingly feeling he couldn’t remember ever experiencing.

He finally approached the storefront and glanced through the large windows before pulling the door open. Instead of Soonyoung, he saw two younger men. One had bright blonde hair, high-set cheekbones, and blindingly bright boyish smile. The other had a pronounced nose, an extremely handsome face, and short dark hair that was side-swept across his temple. They both wore aprons and the same uniform Soonyoung wore, though Wonwoo could notice some small differences in the design of their shirts. They were standing behind the counter idly and chatting, giggling, seemingly having fun.

The pair behind the counter seemed unphased by Wonwoo’s presence until he opened the door and they heard the little bell attached to it ring.

“Morning, Sir!” the man with the sharper face greeted warmly. His smile was immense and contagious, and served to soften his more pronounced nose and chin.

“How can I help you?”

“Hi… uh, I was wondering if Soonyoung was in?”

The pair exchanged a passing glance as the blonde man headed toward the back with a bit of a chuckle that he failed to hide. The idea that Soonyoung  _ may  _ have mentioned Wonwoo to his underlings crossed his mind, and Wonwoo gulped as he shivered a bit at the thought.

Finally, Soonyoung emerged from the back. Wonwoo noticed a silver bandana covered in tiny stars tied around his collar today. He greeted Wonwoo with a kind, almost reserved grin, a bit different from the temperament he displayed the other day.

“Morning,” Soonyoung said, “So, how did you like my baklava?”

“Were you absolutely  _ nuts _ for it?” The dark haired man beside Soonyoung jeered. The blonde man was still standing in the doorway that lead to the back, trying his best to stave off the giggles that his friend’s remark seems to have caused.

“Seokmin,” Soonyoung addressed the dark-haired man, with a stern edge to his tone “Aren’t you and Seungkwan supposed to be working on some palmiers for that luncheon?”

Seungkwan and Seokmin headed toward the back, still laughing heartily as they went.

“Oh,” Soonyoung stopped them, “And could one of you start brewing some espresso for my good friend…”

Soonyoung trailed off and looked back toward Wonwoo expectantly, waiting for him to finish his thought.

“Wonwoo.”

“Yes, brew an espresso for my friend Wonwoo, please,” Soonyoung said with a hint of triumph in his smile.

The remaining two shared a comfortable silence for a moment until Wonwoo swallowed his pride and decided to break it.  _ Here goes nothing. _

“I want to apologize for… rushing out and acting a bit rude the other day. You gave me a free pastry… which I loved, by the way. I was running behind on sleep on top of being late for work and-”

“Wonwoo,” Soonyoung snickered, “You don’t have to apologize. I’m just glad you enjoyed the baklava. I wanted you to try it.”

“Well,” Wonwoo responded, trying to push back at his nerves with all of his might, and cracking as sweet of a smile as he could, “I really loved it. What kind of dough was that made of?”

“It’s called phyllo. Baklava is often attributed to Greece but it can be traced back to the Turks,” Soonyoung said, his posture shooting upright and a satisfied smile on his face.

“The texture of it is really… unlike anything I’ve had before,” Wonwoo said, just the tiniest hint of whimsy in his tone.

“Well, that was my mission in opening this shop. I wanted to bring the people of this city as much variety as possible, little tastes of other places, if you will. I’m really glad you enjoyed it.”

Wonwoo noticed how Soonyoung was twiddling his thumbs just slightly, despite his upright, confident posture. He noticed the pinkish hue painting the tops of his ears. If Wonwoo was anything, he was observant. He allowed these little details to carry him further, still harping on Mingyu’s reassuring words in the back of his mind.

“Actually…” Soonyoung finally cuts in, “I wanted to apologize for looking you up and down and acting so cavalier, like I knew your whole life story or something. Now  _ that,  _ that was rude. I have a tendency to be too blunt and think out loud sometimes.”

“No hard feelings,” Wonwoo said, smiling earnestly and feeling a bit less tense now, “We were just both having a rough morning, right?”

“Yeah…” Soonyoung responded, looking bashful, “I’m honestly kind of surprised you even came back,” he confessed, his arm slinging back and his fingers pawing at the hairs at the nape of his neck. Wonwoo couldn’t help but wonder what that spot of Soonyoung felt like.

“Well, I had to buy a half dozen more of your baklava,” Wonwoo got an idea in his head as he started his thought, and decided to finish it: “I will say one thing, the pastries in your bakery are  _ much  _ sweeter than you are.”

Wonwoo cringed a bit at his own sarcastic quip.  _ Is that even how you flirt? Is sarcasm still flirty nowadays? Oh god…  _

Luckily, Soonyoung laughed at his remark.

“Oh Wonwoo… I can’t even begin to tell you how dead wrong you are,” he answered in a challenging tone, almost begging Wonwoo for more. Maybe that was exactly what Wonwoo had wanted.

As Soonyoung beamed at Wonwoo’s playful banter, Seokmin emerged from the back with a single espresso shot and slit it across the counter to Wonwoo.

“Ahh, thank you, Seokmin,” Soonyoung thanked his worker and once again dismissed him to the back. Wonwoo reached for his espresso shot, but was interrupted by an eager Soonyoung.

“Wait!” he stopped him, “I want you to try something with this.”

Soonyoung leant down to grab a pastry from the case, nearly forgetting to grab a wax paper first. His head popped back up from behind the case and he placed a tiny square pastry next to Wonwoo’s shot.

“It’s a mini tiramisu,” Soonyoung responded, “Should go nicely with the same espresso I use to make it!”

Wonwoo took a small nibble of the pastry before downing his espresso in one gulp. He reveled in the tiramisu’s creamy texture, the taste of his espresso complemented by a bittersweet chocolate. He let it rest on his palate for a moment before finishing the rest of the pastry. He noticed how Soonyoung watched him expectantly, his mouth falling just slightly open into that little o shape.

“Delicious,” Wonwoo responded with a smile. Wonwoo realized he was feeling bold. Maybe it was the beginning of the rush from the caffeine and sugar. Maybe, his adrenaline from all the nerves and angst was just finally hitting its peak.

“So, why don’t you try to prove it to me?” he asked Soonyoung.

“I’m sorry… what?” Soonyoung gaped. Wonwoo had to try desperately not to giggle at how adorable he looked when he was confused, trying to keep up his little act.

“What you said before. Can you prove to me that you’re sweeter than all of the pastries in your shop?”

Soonyoung’s cheeks finally flushed a hot pink. He smiled nervously, and his nose scrunched up just a bit as he stumbled over his words. 

“Oh… I…” he rubs the back of his neck with more fervor this time, “Well, really, you’d have to try all of my pastries first. You know… to be fair!”

“Well, then I’ll just have to come back every day before work.”

_ Work.  _ Wonwoo broke out of his little charade for just a moment to look down at his wristwatch. 8:45. He was close to being late again.

“Ahh, you have to get going then!” Soonyoung said, perhaps, feeling relieved that they had to cut their little game short. He was beginning to feel overwhelmed, and Wonwoo could tell by the pinks and reds that rose to the surface of his skin to paint his cheeks, and even the bit of his neck that was exposed. Nevertheless, Soonyoung tried his best to regain his composure.

“Don’t worry about the tiramisu!” This time it seemed like Soonyoung was the one who was in a rush to escape.

“Wait, you can’t keep giving me free pastries like this. I have to pay you back somehow…” Wonwoo feigned a sort of thinking face, pressing a hand to his chin before he delivered his request.  _ Be casual,  _ he told himself.

“Let me take you out later.”

Soonyoung’s eyes grew wider than Wonwoo had yet seen.  _ God,  _ Wonwoo thought, smiling widely at how utterly adorable Soonyoung was when he got rattled.

“Damn…” Soonyoung cursed, “I’m sorry, I just didn’t expect you to be so… forward. Been up since 3 am, kind of feeling like I might be beginning to hallucinate, you know?” Soonyoung spoke even louder than his usual tone (which was  _ Loud  _ with a capital L _ ) _ when he got flustered. He cleared his throat, trying to compose himself.

“Anyway… Sure. I’d  _ love  _ that. Meet me here when you get off work?”

“Sounds good,” Wonwoo responded, wondering how his entire being seemed to shift into autopilot for long enough for him to ask  _ Soonyoung  _ on a  _ date. _

“Sounds like a date,” Soonyoung said playfully before briskly heading toward the back.

“Goodbye, Wonwoo,” he bid farewell with a small wave and a sweet smile. Wonwoo did the same.

Wonwoo finished his walk to work, humming the same Hall and Oates song he couldn’t seem to get out of his head since yesterday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again you can find me @soonuwus on twitter. See you next week!


	3. Sweet and heady, like my love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Someone seems to be in a good mood,” Wonwoo insisted as a greeting, still flying pretty high from the adrenaline rush of asking Soonyoung out that morning.  
> “I guess you could say I am,” Soonyoung responded with a smirk, regaining his composure from being startled just a moment ago, “I have a hot date tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been losing steam with this fic so I'm glad I wrote the bulk of it before I started posting... but I am unemployed yet again and will probably be writing a bit more. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!! This one is juicy and cute and one of my faves!

By the time Wonwoo was leaving work that evening, the ever-present Hall and Oates symphony in his head had reached a blaring volume. He felt utterly blissed out, now completely overcome by the butterflies in his stomach as though it was springtime and his insides were being swarmed. On top of Wonwoo just being relieved and happy it was finally the weekend, he was absolutely _ecstatic_ about his date. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been on a date, and he could say with some certainty that he’d never been on a date with anyone that was as interesting as Soonyoung.

As per their usual Friday evening ritual, Mingyu texted Wonwoo to confirm that they’d be meeting for drinks after work, but Wonwoo had to politely decline.

 

_ >meet at the pub at 5:30? _

  _< Sorry Gyu _

_ <Have Plans _

_> YOU HAVEN’T HAD ONE PLAN SINCE YOU GRADUATED WONWOO _

_ >did he finally ask you out _

_< EXCUSE me sir but I asked HIM out._

_> who the hell are you and what did you do with my Wonwoo??_

_ >so you’re telling me I’m just stuck drinking with Hao tonight?? _

_ >this was my doing you OWE me a drink and all the hot details TOMORROW _

 

Wonwoo laughed at Mingyu’s incessant texts as he walked back toward the bakery. He had shed a layer of his accountant-skinsuit: his jacket. It was a nice day, so he just wore his dress-shirt and suit pants, along with his tie. He stopped about a block from the bakery to fuss around a bit with his sleeves and loosen his tie, stopping to look at his reflection in the window of the bank on the corner. He rolled his sleeves up for a more casual look. He figured this would have to do, and continued a couple yards down the block until he got to the Pâtisserie.

He stopped in front of the door and peered through the window to find Soonyoung counting money at the register, almost a bit _too_ enthusiastically. He seemed to be singing along to whatever song was blasting through the speakers in his shop. Wonwoo observed him like that for about half a minute, smiling in disbelief that _this_ is the man he will have the pleasure of taking out tonight. _How in sweet HELL did you manage this, Jeon Wonwoo?_ He can’t help but ask himself.

He finally opened the door and set off the doorbell, causing Soonyoung to jump slightly at the sound, clearly not prepared to be caught red handed as he serenaded his cash register with the sweet stylings of Prince’s _Purple Rain._

“Someone seems to be in a good mood,” Wonwoo insisted as a greeting, still flying pretty high from the adrenaline rush of asking Soonyoung out that morning.

“I guess you could say I am,” Soonyoung responded with a smirk, regaining his composure from being startled just a moment ago, “I have a hot date tonight.”

It takes all of Wonwoo’s strength to avoid just disintegrating into a puddle right then and there.

“I’m just counting out the drawer for tomorrow morning, I’ll leave the cleaning to the other two. I’ll be right back,” Soonyoung said eagerly, rushing into the back room with a spring in his step.

When he returned, he was followed by his two workers, who just peeked out from behind the door looking _disgustingly_ smug, like they never get to see their boss in such a vulnerable state. That, though, is not the most interesting part of Soonyoung’s emergence. He was no longer wearing his chef’s uniform or his little starry bandana (which Wonwoo misses just a bit), he was now clad in a pair of (distressingly tight) black jeans and a pale blue polka-dot dress shirt.

“Have fun _Chef,_ ” Seungkwan teased with a playful little wave at the two of them. Soonyoung pulled on a _very_ chic leather jacket and lead Wonwoo out the door. Wonwoo realized he felt underdressed as he eyed Soonyoung’s back and followed him outside. So, not only is the man successful, witty, and brimming with confidence, but he dresses _exceptionally_ well (not that Wonwoo really _knows_ what it is to be “well-dressed” nowadays, but Soonyoung in this moment looks like the men he sees in the clothing ads along the side columns of his financial papers). Soonyoung’s hair seems to have been more carefully styled, despite his dirty highlights and darker roots, which Wonwoo can only assume must be _in_ right now. _It must be_ , he thinks, if Soonyoung: the hip young pâtissier is wearing it that way.

Soonyoung stopped once they finally escaped the frame of his own shop windows, and thus the watchful, curious eyes of his apprentices, and turned to face Wonwoo. He looked him up and down and Wonwoo had to tell himself that he _did not_ just watch Soonyoung lick his goddamn lips as he checked him out.

“You look good,” Soonyoung said with a slight pause, eyes trained on Wonwoo’s clearly loosened tie, before he continues down the block. Wonwoo felt frozen for a split second and had to rush to catch up with Soonyoung’s strides.

“So, where are we off to tonight? Have anything planned?” Soonyoung asked as they headed uptown toward the river.

Wonwoo doubted himself for a moment but kept on walking.

“I actually don’t go out a ton. My coworkers drag me out to trashy bars and karaoke halls a lot, but I have a feeling you’re not too into that scene, and honestly, neither am I,” he responded, smiling but feeling just a bit unsure of himself.

“I mean… I’m the one returning _your_ favor. Do you have any place in mind that you’d like to go?”

“I thought you’d never ask, Wonwoo,” Soonyoung beamed, taking the lead as if he hadn’t really been leading them this whole time. He probably knew Wonwoo would be clueless about this and already thought _carefully_ about where they could go. Though Wonwoo hadn’t known him long at all, that just seemed like the Soonyoung thing to do.

“I’m actually glad, because I wanted to take you to my favorite restaurant in this neighborhood. Have you had French food before?” Soonyoung smiled as he lead them closer to the park along the river.

“I haven’t,” Wonwoo said, a bit apprehensive, “Do they eat a lot of seafood? Because I can’t eat seafood.”

“The French eat _everything,_ ” Soonyoung answered, “and they do it exceptionally well. There’s a reason I got my certification there. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I respect just about every cuisine on earth, but the French just have indulgent fine-dining down to a formula...”

Wonwoo just listened. He thoroughly enjoyed the sound of Soonyoung’s voice. His enthusiasm for anything and everything just oozes from between his lips. If Wonwoo had to compare Soonyoung’s voice to anything, it would be the sticky sweet honey that coats the dough of his baklava. Wonwoo had already decided that it was sticky and sweet enough for him to know that he wouldn’t be able to wash its sound from his brain for a very long time.

“Anyway,” Soonyoung finished after rambling a bit about french cuisine while Wonwoo could only seem to savor the sweetness of the sound, “I’m sure you’ll find something you like here. The French are exceptional at taking incredibly simple, basic ingredients and making something divine out of them. Here we are!”

They arrived at the restaurant, a charming little corner establishment with patio seating, a large bar, and beautiful wicker chairs. Wonwoo kind of felt like he was stepping foot on another country’s soil, the air of the French Bistro feeling so authentic. Not that he would know. However, if Soonyoung liked this place after spending who knows how long in Europe, then it must be good.

They sat at a table inside, but along the windows overlooking the park. It was a gorgeous atmosphere, and Wonwoo was surprised he had no idea this place existed. The contrast to his usual hangouts (the pub with mingyu or the seemingly endless amount of financial district karaoke halls that his coworkers drag him to) was stark and welcome. Soonyoung ordered a drink called a sazerac, which he says is a whiskey drink made with absinthe. Soonyoung explained how he drank absinthe every so often in Paris and he craved it now and then (though the kind they sold here was _nothing_ like the French kind),

Wonwoo ordered his usual, a scotch and soda. Soonyoung seemed endeared.

“Ahh, I should have known you weren’t a fruity cocktail guy, Mister ‘I don’t eat sweets.’”

Wonwoo snickered, “In college I used to drink seven and sevens,” he laughed at himself, immediately picking up his drink as the waiter set it down, thinking maybe it will calm his nerves. His nerves were already quite calm, though, much to his surprise.

“Eventually I just kind of grew out of the sugary version of it. And a lot of my coworkers drink scotch… At least when they’re not shooting soju like maniacs.”

Soonyoung laughed, “So what’s your job like? I’ve rambled to you about mine a couple times already.”

“Oh, you don’t wanna hear about that,” Wonwoo insisted with a dismissive smile,

“Wonwoo,” Soonyoung said, pausing to take a sip of his sazerac, “Why do you think I agreed to go out with you tonight?”

Wonwoo was taken aback by that question, though he discerned it to be another thing that was just so utterly Soonyoung. He was still getting to know him, but Soonyoung had already claimed and shown himself to be blunt and prone to trying to suss people out. He was quite a curious fellow in every sense of the word. When it came to this question, though, Wonwoo couldn’t help but feel like he was being played with. He began to sweat as he struggled with his answer, and settled on a safe sarcastic remark.

“To get your money back for the pastries you gave me?” Wonwoo answered, tentative but keeping up his facade as best he could.

Soonyoung looked dissatisfied with his answer, and sat back to give Wonwoo a stern look.

“I agreed to go out with you because I wanted to get to know you, Wonwoo. So don’t hold back,” he insisted, still a hint of challenge in his tone, but his voice more earnest, “Tell me about yourself.” Wonwoo was a bit surprised at the sincerity of his response.

“Honestly, Soonyoung,” he responded, “My job isn’t very interesting. It’s exactly how you’d imagine it, I promise.”

“Well, good thing _you’re_ not your job. Talk about anything you want. I want to learn about _you!”_

Wonwoo flushed a bit at that, and luckily he was saved from Soonyoung’s blunt, yet somehow kind and earnest, scrutiny as they were asked if they were ready to order. Soonyoung, of course, took it upon himself to order for them.

“We’re going to start with an order of escargot, and a tomato tart as well, for now,” he spoke authoritatively, “My friend needs some more time to decide on dinner, though.”

After the waiter walks away, Wonwoo glanced at Soonyoung curiously.

“Escargots... Isn’t that snails?” he laughed.

“Yes, Wonwoo. It’s snails. They’re actually delicious.”

“Does that count as seafood… or…” Wonwoo scratched his head a bit and chuckled, and which Soonyoung joined him in his laughter. Soonyoung raised his glass, beckoning Wonwoo to do the same.

“To us,” he said, clinking their glasses together. Wonwoo was taken in that moment by what an absolute _ham_ this man was. He had to admit he kind of loved it.

“But seriously, I don’t want you to feel any kind of weird pressure. Let’s just talk. If you really want, I’ll start,” Soonyoung said, and Wonwoo just nodded as he leaned in to listen.

Soonyoung talked about how he dropped out of college after a year of studying engineering (and failing most of his classes). He talked about how he spent months as a street performer by day and Uber driver by night to save up the money for culinary school in France. The waiter brought their appetizers, along with a basket of bread. Wonwoo especially enjoyed the pumpernickel, as well as the tomato tart. However, he politely refused an escargots from Soonyoung’s fork (by then they had moved on to their second round of drinks and Soonyoung was attempting to spoon-feed him like he was a child, asking him to open up the runway for the airplane to come through). Wonwoo just laughed heartily and waved his hands at the snail until Soonyoung ate it himself.

When the waiter (or _garcon,_ as Soonyoung called him) returned to their table, Soonyoung ordered the Trout Amandine, and Wonwoo ordered the Steak Frites. Soonyoung had explained to him that the “frites” are just french fries after Wonwoo had told him he quite enjoyed eating beef, so that was Soonyoung’s recommendation. Plus, Wonwoo _was_ just a bit of a picky eater and how could you go wrong with french fries?

Soonyoung had also ordered them a bottle of Bordeaux to enjoy with dinner, both deciding to forego the harder stuff for the rest of the night.

“So,” Wonwoo said, breaking their short bout of awkward silence after they placed their orders, “I hope you don’t mind me asking this…But was it hard for you to dropout of school?”

Soonyoung pondered his question as he buttered another slice of bread.

“Yes and no,” he finally replied, “It was hard at first, but it eventually became way easier than forcing myself to do something I kind of sucked at. Being able to make money dancing for some time was a dream even if it was just a little. It all lead to my ultimate dream of, well, all of this.”

Wonwoo just kind of nodded at the response, the same old uncertainty settling in his stomach as always.

“Why do you ask?” Soonyoung questioned.

“Well,” Wonwoo began, finally just tipsy enough to open up a bit to Soonyoung, “I guess I’ve just been wondering if I should have done the same thing.”

Soonyoung adjusted his posture, leaning in to implore Wonwoo to say more.

“I’m really good at what I do… Business, finance. That’s why I kept with it. I did well in my courses and I got an internship easily. I always got praise from my bosses and got my raises when I should have and eventually ended up with a salary.”

Soonyoung worried a bit on his bottom lip as he listened to Wonwoo speak, clearly listening to what he was saying and, as Wonwoo assumed, probably already crafting a response or maybe even some kind of an answer that Wonwoo had been looking for all this time. Maybe that’s why Wonwoo was drawn to Soonyoung, because he seemed to represent everything that Wonwoo wasn’t, right from the moment he had met him. Maybe Wonwoo thought this other (indescribably handsome and sweet) man might be able to help Wonwoo out of this rut he’d been stuck in for far too long.

“I guess I just always wonder what I _could_ have done.”

“Wonwoo,” Soonyoung said, reaching across their little table to thumb at Wonwoo’s hand. _That is my hand, isn’t it?_ Wonwoo wondered as he realized that this was the third time Soonyoung had given him the urge to pinch himself.

“You’re _good_ at what you do. That’s the difference. I was studying engineering and I was shit at math. You kept with this because you’ve been good at it for your whole life. You said you studied business?”

Wonwoo just nodded, afraid that he would deflate at the feeling of Soonyoung’s soft thumb on his palm if he opened his mouth, so he kept his lips tightly pursed.

Soonyoung went on, still caressing his hand a bit.

“I own a business… And if I had _your_ background, I probably would have never hit the roadblocks I did. So there are pros and cons to… everything, I guess, is what I’m trying to say. You can take your degree and your experience and do whatever you want with it. You don’t have to settle for being an accountant forever.”

“Yeah…” Wonwoo admitted, a bit dumbfounded at Soonyoung’s strange way of praising him, “I guess I never thought of it that way. I had complained about this feeling to a friend recently and they suggested I search for other jobs, but I really only applied within the financial sector. I never even _thought_ about looking elsewhere.”

“Well, there you go!” Soonyoung says, releasing Wonwoo’s hand and looking triumphant, “Every business needs someone good to cook the books. Heck, I only learned to do what I do because I worked at a Pâtissierie in France, and another one when I came back to Seoul.”

Wonwoo smiles and nods at Soonyoung, despite the chill he feels at the loss of heat from Soonyoung’s thumb on his palm.

“Even then, there was a lot of trial and error before I got my place running smoothly. You could make yourself useful in so many different ways. You don’t know how valuable you could be.”

“Thanks, Soonyoung,” Wonwoo said, his voice thick with gratitude, and maybe something a bit more, “I guess I’m just a bit envious of what you did… getting to travel and all that stuff. My best friend followed a similar path and I guess I wish I had just taken a gap year or something.”

“I have a proposition for you,” Soonyoung says, “Take that gap year now, figuratively, and let me take you to more places like this. I have a firm belief in the healing capabilities of a good, warm meal and a glass of wine. Sure, I can’t actually take you to Europe, or Japan, or India…”

Soonyoung trailed off and started showing the more nervous, bashful side of himself that Wonwoo had caught glimpses of earlier that day in the Pâtissierie. Maybe it was just the alcohol, but his cheeks burned just a bit. His blonde hair that was neatly styled before now seemingly falling out of place, dusting over his dark eyebrows. He licked his lips, seeming somewhat unsure of what he was about to say, which Wonwoo thought to be very un-Soonyoung.

“I can’t take you to all those places, but I can give you a little taste of them if you let me.”

He smiled that cheeky smile that Wonwoo had seen before, when he handed Wonwoo a pastry he was eager for him to try. This time, though, it was different. This smile beckoned for more. It was like the a declaration… Of what, Wonwoo really could not tell yet, but he did know one thing. He knew when he saw that smile that he would probably trust Soonyoung with his life, despite him being nearly a total stranger. Wonwoo wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

“I’ll accept your proposition,” Wonwoo said, and that somehow made Soonyoung smile wider, which Wonwoo really did not think was possible.

So, the waiter brought their food, and they enjoyed their meals along with more laughs, the clink of their wine glasses, and the budding feeling of something exciting, something new. 

-

Wonwoo had finished his dinner quickly. It was not unknown for him to absolutely inhale a nice cut of steak whenever it was placed before him. Mingyu could surely attest to that. Soonyoung urged him to go slower and savor his meal more, but it was no use because Wonwoo was getting tipsier by the minute thanks to Soonyoung’s damn wine (it was _delicious_ and as Soonyoung said it had paired incredibly well with Wonwoo’s hanger steak, though Wonwoo couldn’t quite tell that as he shoveled bites into his mouth eagerly between sips).

Soonyoung was left still slowly picking at his trout by the time Wonwoo had cleaned his plate completely. He slurred about how delicious “that green stuff” that the steak was topped with tasted and Soonyoung corrected him ( _That’s chimichurri, Wonwoo.)_ cackling at the sight of Wonwoo pissed away after a long work week. It was something that Wonwoo’s coworkers and Mingyu were accustomed to, but to Soonyoung, it was new and entertaining as ever.

At some point, though, Soonyoung decided to say _that’s enough for you Wonwoo_ and take the bottle of Bordeaux away, giving it to the waiter to be wrapped. Soonyoung, wanting to make good on his promise to show Wonwoo the world, insisted on having dessert elsewhere. When the check came, the two reached at the same time and Wonwoo thought he could have ripped Soonyoung’s arm right out of its socket in that moment. Soonyoung laughed at this, but let Wonwoo pay the whole check because he knew he wanted to repay him for his kindness and his treats.

They moved onto phase two of their date: leaving the bistro to walk through the park just beside it. Soonyoung spoke of a gelato stand at the center of the park that is, as many things are to Soonyoung, _absolutely divine._ Wonwoo reveled in Soonyoung’s passion for the simple pleasures in life, hoping that maybe some of his vigor will rub off on him. Hell, he has a salary and benefits. He can afford to treat himself to some higher quality food every so often instead of just ordering takeout from the same kimbap restaurant on the corner of his block.

Soonyoung told Wonwoo about his time studying in the South of France. He went to culinary school in Bordeaux and then decided he wanted to become a Pâtissier. He moved to Marseilles when he got offered an apprenticeship under a well-known Pâtissier there.

“So wait,” Wonwoo cut in, “Why did you decide, you know.. Pastries?” Soonyoung laughed.

“I didn’t really decide on it, honestly. It was just what I was good at. Baking is kind of like a science. Which is funny, because I sucked so mercilessly at all of my chemistry classes in college, but when I started mixing flour and butter together and making my own pastry dough, it was like, something just clicked.”

Wonwoo smiled at the thought of a young Soonyoung discovering his love for pastries. He imagined his soft little fingers kneading and rolling out dough, delicately decorating his tarts and danishes with fruits and cheese fillings. Wonwoo, of course, was staring at Soonyoung’s hands while his mind wandered (Soonyoung had a tendency to gesticulate a bit like Mingyu, more vigorously, however, when drunk) and he inevitably caught him. Wonwoo cursed Soonyoung for being able to handle a wine buzz better than him.

Soonyoung wasn’t deterred by this realization, though. He seemed to take some pleasure in it, glancing down at his hands while Wonwoo tried to save face by looking away.

The next thing Wonwoo felt was Soonyoung’s warm, soft hand on his. All seemed right with the world.

As they strolled along hand in hand, Wonwoo started to tell Soonyoung about Mingyu, and how _you two would get along famously oh my god you’ve met him actually he comes into your shop sometimes because that fucker is a large child with an insatiable sweet tooth you’ve seen him he’s the lanky bastard who gets the mini cheesecakes,_ and Soonyoung laughs at Wonwoo’s enthusiasm and drunken word vomit but agrees that he thinks he knows the man he’s speaking of.

Though Wonwoo kind of had a bite in his tone when he speaks of Mingyu (though that can somewhat be attributed to Wonwoo’s lack of filter, thanks to the Bordeaux), Soonyoung can tell it’s just how he shows his affection and is due to the type of relationship they have. Soonyoung talked about how he hasn’t had many friends since he left his first job in Seoul to open his own place.

“Seokmin and Seungkwan are kind of like friends, I guess. We do have a lot in common… but they’re also my apprentices so I try not to fraternize too much with them, you know. I have to keep up my reputation as a stern chef.”

Wonwoo chuckled at Soonyoung’s staunchly professional attitude, “They seemed to enjoy fraternizing with you this morning,” He seemed to have poured the last of his reservations away with his last glass of Bordeaux.

“What do you mean by that,” Soonyoung laughed even though he _knew_ what he meant.

“Those two seem to be incredibly fascinated with your personal life. It’s like they’re watching a television drama. I’m sure with the rigorous work you put them up to, though, it’s the only entertainment they really have.”

“They’re just childish is all!” Soonyoung retorted in a scolding tone, letting go of Wonwoo’s hand “Wonwoo, are you insisting that I’m not a fun person to work for?”

“You just seem a little… uptight, sometimes is all.” Wonwoo had to choke back his rampant laughter at this.

“You, Jeon Wonwoo, the accountant, calling _me_ uptight? Oh man,” Soonyoung looked just a little bit seen, laughing it off and gulping once.

“Hey,” Wonwoo insisted, “Get a job in the financial district of Seoul and you, my friend will learn to get down with the best of them. Those bastards might be uptight during the work week but once it hits five o’ clock on Friday, they turn into a bunch of party animals.”

Soonyoung just laughed and elbowed Wonwoo in his side. He grimaced at this but Soonyoung grabbed his hand again as a reparative measure. Wonwoo, of course, could not decline such a good, silent apology.

The pair arrived at the gelato stand and Wonwoo cluelessly glanced over all of the flavors. Soonyoung insisted upon pistachio for himself, and Wonwoo finally decided on some lemon sorbet instead of the gelato. “That’s cute,” Soonyoung proclaimed, out loud, with a laugh. Wonwoo blushed furiously, despite the alcohol’s effects beginning to wear off.

They ended up on a park bench, quietly enjoying their desserts.

“Wonwoo,” Soonyoung was holding back laughter as he spoke, “your sorbet dribbled a bit.”

Soonyoung reached out his hand and wiped the sorbet from Wonwoo’s lower cheek with his thumb ( _that damn thumb_ ) and Wonwoo felt his own skin go _flush._ It was hotter and redder than when he was at the peak of his inebriation, but the alcohol was wearing off quickly. It kind of made Wonwoo feel like he needed to hurry back to his carriage before it turned into a pumpkin.

As Soonyoung held his gaze with _clear intent_ , Wonwoo felt the urge to retort with an _oh come on, where’d you learn THAT cheesy move? in France, doughboy?_ , but he decided he was far too sober now for such nonsense. Soonyoung leaned in, but despite Wonwoo rapidly returning to the world of the living, he did not protest. He just froze, and let Soonyoung’s radiant warmth consume him, bit by bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing confident drunk Wonu and hammy Soon... these boys and their pastries... Can you tell how much I love them!!?! Can't wait to write some more and update next week. Love you all, thank you for reading!!


	4. Sweet Nothings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You did that on purpose,” Wonwoo said as he ran a hand through Soonyoung’s messy hair, “Kwon Soonyoung, I swear, you lay it on thicker than the icing on your cupcakes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting a little bit earlier this week, on account of the fact that I received a lovely gift from my best friend Kitty (probably the person i can credit the most for this fic, she's been so helpful and supportive) and i don't really want to post it along with the chapter but I WILL be posting on twitter along with a link to the chapter, so check it out there, you can find my account @soonuwus. This was definitely one of my favorite chapters to write (and it will eventually be followed with a special deleted scene ;) probably after the completion of the fic, so watch out for it)  
> Enjoy! Stay hungry, my friends.

Wonwoo and Soonyoung’s first date went off without a hitch. They shared a couple of chaste kisses and Wonwoo walked Soonyoung home (it turned out that he lived in the neighborhood, conveniently, not far from where Wonwoo lived). Upon reaching his door, Soonyoung took Wonwoo’s hand and planted a sweet kiss on the back of it before he bid him good night and went inside. Wonwoo had never experienced  _ anything  _ like that. He had decided then that he was absolutely smitten.

Wonwoo woke up the next morning with no anxious nerves to be found, and a phone screen full of notifications from Mingyu. He assured him that everything went well and they agreed to meet for lunch. The pair decided on happy hour at the pub.

When Wonwoo walked into the pub that afternoon, he saw Mingyu at their usual corner high-top, looking smug and eager to sink his teeth into Wonwoo’s tales of his first date. Mingyu did spend most of his day skinning and splitting animal carcasses, but above all, he was a big sap. Wonwoo was pretty sure he went home and watched lifetime movies all curled up on his couch with a box of tissues just within reach.

Wonwoo sat down and ordered a scotch and soda. Mingyu was enjoying a glass of red wine that made Wonwoo cringe a bit as he recalled the wine-drunk mess he was last night, but he mostly just felt warm and giddy at the memory. Mingyu  _ grilled  _ him of course, asking for every single detail (in typical Mingyu fashion, this also includes a breakdown of the meal consumed). He squealed when Wonwoo told him about their first kiss. Mingyu seemed over the moon when it came to his friend’s happiness.

“You know, Wonwoo, if you want to get laid you gotta take him somewhere he can have shellfish next time,” Mingyu offered with a wink, finishing his glass of wine.

“Don’t get in my face about the whole ‘lobster is an aphrodisiac’ thing again. You know I can’t eat it anyway.”

“I know, but  _ he  _ can and then  _ you  _ can get lucky.”

Wonwoo laughed and gave a light kick to Mingyu’s shin under the table.

“Anyways, enough lovey-dovey shit. Have you decided what you want to do about work?”

“Actually,” Wonwoo answered hesitantly, “I was talking about that with Soonyoung last night…”

“Your first date and he’s giving you advice on work?” Mingyu gaped, “I hope you didn’t bore him by complaining about your job.”

“No! I just talked to him about how he decided to do what he does… and he made a good point. He said I should find something I’m passionate about and use my skills to do that. Like, look for a job outside of finance and stuff.”

“I think that’s a great fucking idea Wonwoo! Seriously. That’s what I’ve been trying to get you to do since college, but what do you think that would be?”

“I don’t know…” Wonwoo trailed off, deep in thought, “But Soonyoung said we could go out while I think about it. Like, he’ll take me out to try exciting new food and shit like that. I never really do anything like that, but I just feel optimistic about this.”

“I think that’s great,” Mingyu said with an earnest smile, “I haven’t seen you this happy in a while. Maybe this is just what you needed.”

-

Over the course of about three weeks, Soonyoung made sure to keep his promise to Wonwoo. Wonwoo stopped by the pâtissierie everyday on his way to work to say good morning to Soonyoung, and Soonyoung planned dates for them at least twice weekly. On one particular rainy night, Soonyoung took Wonwoo to his favorite Indian restaurant where they ate samosas and chicken tikka masala. Wonwoo enjoyed a lassi drink, which he liked very much. It reminded him of yakult, except this drink was rose flavored. Soonyoung said it was _so_ _romantic._

Wonwoo tried to show Soonyoung some of his favorite places as well, on nights when Soonyoung was feeling too tired and sluggish to plan a fancy date. One night, Soonyoung left the bakery complaining about an order for a wedding that had been incredibly stressful to put together on time. He ranted about how hard it was to balance the bookkeeping with supervising his apprentices and overseeing the creation of his pastries. Wonwoo just grabbed his hand and led him to his favorite takeout restaurant on the corner of his block. They ate bibimbap and watched a movie at Wonwoo’s apartment. Soonyoung appreciated Wonwoo’s knack for relaxation, his ever-present ability to find ways to wind down from a stressful workday proved to be beneficial for the high-strung pâtissier.

Soonyoung took Wonwoo around the world in 30 days, within the confines of their little neighborhood in Seoul. By the end of the month, Wonwoo had tried Italian, Thai, Japanese (though Wonwoo ate Japanese food quite often, and it turned out Soonyoung did as well), and even Cuban food. Soonyoung made sure that Wonwoo tried each and every cuisine that he could find in their home within the financial district. Some nights, Soonyoung even took Wonwoo across town in search of some especially delectable tacos or a delicious quiche. If there was no trace of a specific culture around their neighborhood, Soonyoung made sure to feed Wonwoo a taste of their sweets from across the counter at the pâtissierie.

It was a brisk Friday night. After weeks of little adventures and trips planned by the ever-eager and kitschy pâtissier, Wonwoo had decided to show Soonyoung what his typical night-out looks like.

Wonwoo had been spending many a morning and evening at the pâtissierie nowadays. It was not uncommon for him to find himself there some time before Nine AM or after Five PM on a weekday. He would wander in and “surprise” Soonyoung (he was always secretly expecting Wonwoo at those times anyway) and they would chat and laugh. They would talk about how their weeks were going and commiserate over coffee and pastries, whichever one Soonyoung deemed to be special enough for Wonwoo that day. They usually did this just beyond the ever-watchful eyes of Seokmin and Seungkwan. One time, Soonyoung’s nosy apprentices caught him hand-feeding Wonwoo a carrot cupcake and they had yet to let him live it down.

Despite their continued habit of watching the couple’s interactions as if they were watching a primetime drama, Wonwoo had gotten to know the two apprentice chefs fairly well. Seungkwan formerly studied under a well-known chef in Jeju, his home-island. He had worked in his kitchen for three years, but after finally being promoted to sous chef he decided to up and move to the big city, where he met Soonyoung and ended up working for him. He was hesitant about working solely with pastries at first, but he soon discovered he had a knack for it. Seokmin was a friend Soonyoung met during his stay in Belgium, and he promised he’d work under Soonyoung if he ever got his own place back in Seoul. Seokmin considered himself the unofficial second-in-command of Wanderlust Pâtissierie, though Soonyoung might dispute that if you asked him.

So, on a Friday evening, Wonwoo found himself back at his favorite little pastry shop. He talked with Seungkwan and Seokmin about their work-week, shying away from discussing his as much as possible. Finally, Soonyoung emerged from his back office, ready to head off on their date. The pâtissier was dressed just a bit more… adventurously this evening, or so Wonwoo thought. He wore a half-sleeve cabana shirt and a pair of  _ tight  _ leather pants. Wonwoo was familiar with Soonyoung’s penchant for tight pants by now, but the leather? That was new. Seungkwan almost coughed up a lung as Soonyoung entered the shop’s small foyer, oozing confidence and charisma as he liked to do. Seokmin just covered Seungkwan’s mouth with his hand as he led him into the back where they could chortle as loud and long as the pleased and speculate wildly in private.

“Wow,” Wonwoo said, taking in the sight before him as he nearly lost his grip on the pastry case. He felt like the ground was going to implode beneath him, looking at Soonyoung like this.

“Is this okay for Karaoke? I tried to look… casual,” Soonyoung asked, his bashful demeanor still ever-so earnest despite the thick layer of smug bastard sauce he always loved to garnish with.

“It will have to do,” Wonwoo said, eyes glazing over. He tried his best to snap himself out of a somewhat lustful trance as he led Soonyoung out the door of the shop.

They headed out to Wonwoo’s favorite BBQ restaurant in the financial district. It was a mainstay for him and his coworkers, but thankfully, he didn’t have to begrudgingly hang out with Seoul’s saddest suits tonight. Instead, he got to sit across from an unbelievably beautiful man in tight leather pants. What did he do to deserve such fabulous things?

They ate bulgogi and drank beer until Wonwoo could convince Soonyoung to do a shot of Soju with him.

“You might have me beat as far as wine goes, but once we’re drinking Soju I know I’ll be the most sober one at the end of the night,” Wonwoo teased his date as they clinked their shot glasses together.

“We’ll just see about that,” Soonyoung challenged him as he downed his shot in one go.

“So, how’ve you been feeling? Has this last month given you any inspiration?” Soonyoung asked tentatively as he shoved kimchi into his mouth in hefty bites. Soonyoung could be a bit pretentious and particular about table-manners and dining customs given his background in the culinary arts, but after a long week and a shot he ate their hometown cooking with as much gusto as every other exhausted businessman in the room.

“I guess,” Wonwoo answered, “I’m just really enjoying spending time with you, Soonyoung.”

“I love spending time with you too,” Soonyoung answered, cracking a sweet smile and nudging Wonwoo’s foot with his own under their table, “I don’t want to put any pressure on you, but I hope you can find a new job that you love. I know that you will soon.”

Wonwoo just smiled and poured two more glasses of Soju.

“To us,” he toasted, raising his glass at Soonyoung with an earnest smile. The way he smiled around Soonyoung now felt so organic, so natural.

“To us,” Soonyoung reciprocated, clinking their glasses together once more.

After the meal, the couple headed a few blocks over to Wonwoo’s favorite karaoke hall. They held hands as they made their way together. Touch like this was fast becoming a natural occurrence for them. Wonwoo’s hands often lolled at his sides whenever he walked with Soonyoung, begging to be held, for Soonyoung’s warm, soft fingers to find their way into the spaces between Wonwoo’s thinner ones. They shared quick pecks on the cheek and on the lips, as well as deeper, more intimate kisses when they could steal them. When they’d had a movie night at Wonwoo’s apartment a week or so back, Soonyoung fell asleep on Wonwoo’s shoulder and Wonwoo gazed at him for what felt like an eternity, watching him as his eyelashes fluttered and he and snored peacefully, committing this image to memory as best he could. Wonwoo was fast at cherishing his intimacy with Soonyoung, indeed.

They arrived hand-in-hand to the karaoke hall and rented out a small room for two hours. The remainder of the date consisted of large amounts of Soju being consumed and eventually of Soonyoung drunkenly dancing as he sang along to just about every SHINee song he could find on the list. Wonwoo didn’t complain about Soonyoung hogging the microphone, because it meant he got to watch Soonyoung shake his ass in his lewd leather pants. Wonwoo declared that they were “downright scandalous” while he watched his date shake it to Lucifer, but he didn’t mind looking at Soonyoung moving like  _ that  _ from such an angle.

When their time in the karaoke hall was up, they left, still rapturous with laughter and clearly not wanting the night to end. They continued to walk back toward the pâtissierie and Wonwoo wondered if he should offer to take Soonyoung back to his place, but Soonyoung, as usual, had other plans.

“I have an idea,” Soonyoung slurred his words almost unnoticeably as he clasped his fingers in Wonwoo’s hand.

“And what is that?” Wonwoo asked, skeptical of Soonyoung’s sobriety and judgement in this state.

“I know this cool place we can break into. I heard the asshole who owns it is  _ really _ uptight and pretentious,” he replied, a sly tone thickly coating his normally sweet voice.

Wonwoo just laughed as they turned the corner toward the Wanderlust Pâtissierie. Soonyoung fumbled with his keys as they stood out front until he finally led Wonwoo in, taking hold of his hand. He led him into the back and went into the walk-in fridge in search of something. He emerged with two large metal bowls.

“I wanted you to try my latest creation,” Soonyoung said, “I whipped this up earlier since you planned the date. I thought you might want some dessert.”

It was dark in the back of the bakery save for one small overhead light that Soonyoung had flicked on upon entering, but Wonwoo could swear he saw a wink manifest on his face before he turned away. Soonyoung fumbled around the room searching for small glasses for serving. When he returned to Wonwoo he picked up one of the metal bowls, sticking two fingers in its fluffy white peaks and presenting a puff of whipped cream to Wonwoo.

“I made it with vanilla bean and rum extract,” Soonyoung said innocently, but suddenly his demeanor switched.

“Try some,” he continued, coy, still a bit tipsy, and eyes glazing over as Wonwoo moved his gaze from Soonyoung’s to look at the whipped cream on his hand.  _ Yeah right,  _ Wonwoo thought,  _ “dessert.” _

Wonwoo just trained his eyes back on Soonyoung’s and leaned in closer to his outstretched fingers. He slurped the whipped cream up with his tongue quickly, but he did not pull away before sucking every last bit of vanilla bean and every lick of rum he could get from the soft skin of Soonyoung’s fingers. Wonwoo let out a soft, satisfied sound, but he couldn’t quite tell if he was reacting to the sweets Soonyoung fed him or the man himself.

“Isn’t it good?” Soonyoung deigned to interject as he removed his fingers from Wonwoo’s mouth, “I-” 

That was when Wonwoo pulled him in close and silenced him with an eager kiss. His tongue worked at the inside of Soonyoung’s mouth in a way that was not unlike his lapping at his fingers just before. Soonyoung melted into Wonwoo’s embrace and groaned into the kiss as Wonwoo grazed his hands down Soonyoung’s back to cup at his leather-clad ass.

The two finally broke the kiss and Soonyoung just smirked haughtily at Wonwoo.

“You did that on purpose,” Wonwoo said as he ran a hand through Soonyoung’s messy hair, “Kwon Soonyoung, I swear, you lay it on thicker than the icing on your cupcakes.”

“What’s that supposed to be a euphemism for, Jeon Wonwoooo?” Soonyoung still slurred Wonwoo’s name a bit, though the scent of alcohol on his breath seemed to be replaced with something undeniably honey-like.

Wonwoo just pulled Soonyoung in for another open-mouthed kiss, thumbing through his hair and moving his hands down to cup his cheeks until Soonyoung pulled away.

“So you  _ don’t  _ want to eat the mousse?” Soonyoung pouted as he toyed with the hem of Wonwoo’s shirt.

“No,” Wonwoo insisted, “There’s something else of yours that I’ve been  _ dying  _ to try though.” Wonwoo slowly dragged his hands down Soonyoung’s back again to cup his ass, and Soonyoung turned bright red.

“Wonwoo!” Soonyoung scolded, pushing the other man away, “That’s  _ definitely _ against the healthcode violations!”

The couple burst into boisterous laughter as Wonwoo eagerly grabbed Soonyoung’s hand and led him to the front and out the door (not before Soonyoung grabbed the bowl of whipped cream).

“I guess we’ll have to have the final course at my place, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> talk to me @soonuwus on twitter i love making new PALS :)  
> also be sure to check out Kitty's illustration of the Wanderlust Patissierie which I will be posting on twitter!!


	5. You held your breath, I'll give you mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How is it possible for me to be in the place I’ve known best my whole life and still feel so lost?” Wonwoo lamented, now choking back tears.  
> “Not all who wander are lost, Wonwoo,” Soonyoung said, honey voice and reassuring tone laid on thick but not in the way it is when he’s buttering up customers or trying to seduce Wonwoo. This is earnest, intimate.  
> “Honestly, the way I see it, some who never wander, never stray, actually end up feeling the most lost out of all of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god okay,,,, I'm so sorry for falling behind on postings! I've been dealing with some personal stuff and I've also been feeling kind of down about my writing abilities, as well as preparing for some transitional stuff in my life on the horizon. So I haven't been writing much lately. I've been kind of blocked.  
> Also, I've been working on something that took precedent over this because it has a deadline. So please forgive me!! I apologize to anyone who was reading and expecting updates.  
> Secondly, I'm sorry to say that updates will be coming slower for now. Like I said, personal stuff and what not... I've fallen behind a bit on writing this particular fic so I wanna say updates will be twice a month for now. If I fall behind any further just hit me please.  
> Also, sorry for the long note. I want to add one more thing!! My best friend and the other tennant of my singular brain-cell, @Kittypauljones on twitter, has created a bunch of beautiful fanart for this fic as a Christmas gift to me!! This fic also would not exist without her, as it was born of our awful self-indulgent foodie DMs, and she is arguably the only person as excited as me about this fic. So please show her art some love! It's gorgeous <3  
> Here's the link:  
> https://twitter.com/kittypauljones/status/1064554207863283712
> 
> Anyway, now go ahead and read and enjoy!!

Wonwoo awoke one Saturday morning with not one nervous knot to be found in his gut. Instead, he woke to find himself flush against a very soft-skinned pâtissier that was sleeping soundly. Wonwoo had spent the night with his face buried in the crook of Soonyoung’s neck, taking in his sweet scent as he spooned him. He reached to grab his phone from the side table, seeing that the clock read  _ 6:30 AM.  _ He gave Soonyoung a soft nudge to wake him.

“Morning, my sweet,” Soonyoung finally managed in a soft gravelly morning voice as he rolled over and stretched.

“Don’t you have to be at work?” Wonwoo asked, concerned that he caused Soonyoung to oversleep.

“Ahh, I already took care of that. I texted Seokmin last night to let him know I’d be in late today.”

Wonwoo sighed and plopped his head back down on the pillow, moving to nuzzle Soonyoung’s shoulder with his face.

“Besides,” Soonyoung finished his earlier thought, “He promised me that if I got laid he’d open up the shop for me. Even on a Saturday morning.” Wonwoo laughed and nuzzled In closer in response.

“Seokmin thinks that little of me, huh?”

“I think he was more afraid that I’d never make a move,” Soonyoung answered as he chuckled, “I cant wait to see the look on his face when I tell him that I initiated this.”

“Hey! You laid the groundwork with that whipped cream but I was the first to make a move.”

The pair just laughed as they held each other and laid in their soft cocoon of sheets, listening to the sounds of the city echoing outside an open window. Wonwoo laid his head upon Soonyoung’s chest, unable to resist comparing the eager  _ click clack, honk, chsssh _ of the city to Soonyoung’s steady heartbeat. They both just so happened to be the best sounds he had ever heard.

Eventually they shifted back into their spooning position from earlier and Wonwoo’s head was back in its new favorite spot, tightly tucked into the crook of Soonyoung’s neck. Wonwoo sat up on his side as he traced little lines and circle all over Soonyoung’s skin, reaching the very top of his spine, where he found a tattoo.

Wonwoo had discovered the tattoo at first last night, and he was pleasantly surprised. It turned out Soonyoung had a few of them, (a half-sleeve on his left arm that was often covered by his shirts, as well as a piece that continued along his shoulder) but Wonwoo felt particularly drawn to this one because of its home on one of his favorite spots on Soonyoung’s body. He read the foreign language on Soonyoung’s skin in his head, and then out loud, sounding out the words as best he could despite not knowing the meaning they held.

_ “petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid” _

“Do you know what it means?” Soonyoung asked, very aware of the way Wonwoo was tracing the tattoo lightly with his fingertips.

“Of course not, I don’t speak French.”

“It says ‘little by little, the bird builds its nest,” Soonyoung said, “It means that if you’re patient and you work hard, you will be able to manifest your dreams.”

Wonwoo sighed, a mix of self-loathing (he was waiting for it to eventually rear its ugly head) and a dreamy smitten echo of the way that Soonyoung is so effortlessly poetic, like a character from a romance novel. It seemed to come with the territory, the way he looked directly into your soul and almost seemed to speak in sonnets. All of those things made up the fabulously unique, funny, albeit somewhat particular and uptight, Pâtissier by the name of Kwon Soonyoung. It only seemed to make sense that he lived life like it was a movie or a novel.

“I got it when I was in France. There was a time when I was struggling to get through culinary training, and I was working as a Line Cook in a Michelin starred restaurant. It was so cutthroat and I think that’s when I realized I couldn’t work in a restaurant like that, in a kitchen like that. I got this tattoo as a way to remind myself that if I worked hard, and pushed on, I’d have my own place someday and I could run it exactly the way I wanted to.”

Wonwoo just listened to Soonyoung, sighed again, and held him even tighter. He buried his face deeper into Soonyoung’s back, planting soft kisses along his shoulder until he got to the tattoo, where he took pause to rest and breathe in the other’s scent.

“God,” Wonwoo finally responded, exasperation and defeatism coating his voice, “I wish I could be more like you.”

Soonyoung turned on his side to face Wonwoo, shifting their position, pulling Wonwoo in close against his chest and then pressing a thumb to his chin to pull his gaze up to meet his own.

“You’re doing fine, Wonwoo. You don’t need to be like me. You’re you.”

“I know, I just... feel so aimless and lost,” Wonwoo seemed to finally admit this for real, and for the first time to Soonyoung, to anyone. His voice cracked as he tried to continue and a silent stream of tears trickled down his cheeks.

“I wish I had a passion like you. I wish I had something to chase when I was young. You followed it to France, Mingyu followed it to New York… I just stayed here. Sure, I moved to Seoul, the big city, like that matters… but I just feel lost here.”

Soonyoung wiped Wonwoo’s tears away with his thumb, clearly trying his best to just listen, to soothe Wonwoo and let him get it all out. He held him closer and cradled his head in his smooth, comforting arms.

“How is it possible for me to be in the place I’ve known best my whole life and still feel so lost?” Wonwoo lamented, now choking back tears.

“Not all who wander are lost, Wonwoo,” Soonyoung said, honey voice and reassuring tone laid on thick but not in the way it is when he’s buttering up customers or trying to seduce Wonwoo. This is earnest, intimate.

“Honestly, the way I see it, some who never wander, never stray, actually end up feeling the most lost out of all of us.”

“So that’s why I feel lost?”

“Maybe,” Soonyoung answered, “but I’ll tell you this again, Wonwoo. You can do anything you want in the world.”

He stroked Wonwoo’s head, fingers knitting through his dark locks, the sensation only serving to calm Wonwoo’s anxieties about his job, the future, and his seemingly non-existent dreams.

“It’s okay to not know what you want to do yet. You have all the time in the world to decide. Some people don’t even know until they’re in their forties.”

Wonwoo nuzzled his face deeper into Soonyoung’s chest, once again taking in the calming  _ pit-pat  _ of the heart housed inside his chest, and trying to tune out the incessant  _ click clack  _ of the city sidewalks outdoors. The sounds that had always comforted him always grew to be too much when his anxiety took hold of his senses, but he found refuge in the steady beat of Soonyoung’s own heart, ticking like a clock that served to log and celebrate the meaning in the life Wonwoo lived thus far, and the moments he would cultivate even further. It didn’t taunt him, it didn’t tell him that time was running out, instead reminding him that he had boundless time ahead of him, just waiting.

“Thank you, Soonyoung,” he murmured, drifting off just a bit.

“Whatever you decide, I’ll be here. I’ll support you. I promise,” Soonyoung asserted. 

He stroked Wonwoo’s head until he melted into his chest, drifting back off into his slumber. He was desperate to get back the hours upon hours of sleep and simple moments like this that life had denied him thus far. As Wonwoo drifted off, for the first time in weeks since he’d met Soonyoung, he thought about his career, his life, and where he wanted to go with it. Soonyoung was great for escapism, sure, but Wonwoo was beginning to think that there was more to this than either of them had even realized yet. With this thought in mind, he drifted back into sleep in search of his well-deserved weekend rest.

 

-

 

Wonwoo had discovered a number of things in getting closer to Soonyoung.

For one thing, he had begun to notice that though Soonyoung loved to go out and be pampered, to receive hospitality from the staff at a host of his favorite establishments at the city, he also loved to provide it to others. This showed not only in the way he ran his pâtissierie but the way he woke Wonwoo up on a Sunday morning at his apartment after he had spent the night. He greeted him with mimosas and the fluffiest omelette that he had ever eaten. The omelette was at least 5 centimeters thick before it had been folded over and it was perfectly seasoned and incredibly airy, the inside feeling like pillows of scrambled eggs. Soonyoung just paired it with leftover kimchi from his fridge, but it was heavenly (heavenly enough, in fact, to prompt Wonwoo to chastise Soonyoung for not expanding upon his culinary talents and opening a café).

Secondly, Wonwoo realized he need not worry about Soonyoung and his friends getting along with his. That is, his closest friend of note, Mingyu.

Actually, it had been Mingyu’s insistence (being the ever dogged man he is) that Wonwoo take him by Soonyoung’s pâtissierie on his day off, since he deemed that it was time for him to meet the man, as Wonwoo’s best friend.

“I have rights as your best friend, Wonwoo,” Mingyu said staunchly, to which Wonwoo just laughed.

“I don’t know,” Wonwoo smiled, pausing to take a bite of his dumpling. They had met for lunch on Wonwoo’s break at Mingyu’s favorite dumpling spot.

“Are you sure you don’t have ulterior motives,” Wonwoo quipped, narrowing his eyes into a suspicious gaze.

“What?!” Mingyu spat (he quite  _ literally  _ spat, as that was a nervous habit of his and it seemed to happen whenever he got defensive and spoke too fast).

“That’s preposterous, Wonwoo,” Mingyu’s histrionics and nerves were present in his tone, “Why would I, your best friend, have an ulterior motive? I just want to meet your boyfriend, finally. I respect his culinary work  _ very  _ much. I’m beginning to think you’re ashamed of me or something!”

The thing about Wonwoo and Mingyu being friends for as long as they had was that they seemed to have developed the uncanny ability to see  _ right  _ through each other.

“You’re into one of his apprentices aren’t you,” Wonwoo smirked, reveling in the break in Mingyu’s expression when he dared to utter that thought. If there was anyone who was more bashful and embarrassed at the discovery of a harmless little crush, it was Mingyu. Wonwoo could tell by the way his eyes grew and his mouth shrunk that he had hit the nail on the head.

“You told me you’d been there before. I know you have a sweet tooth but I thought there had to be another reason that you’d been bugging me so much about stopping by.”

Mingyu just sank in his chair, visibly defeated. In both width and height, Mingyu usually had Wonwoo well-outmatched. He was built like a brick-shithouse, especially when you compared him with Wonwoo’s lankier, thinner frame. However, whenever Wonwoo found a way to get under Mingyu’s skin, the latter had a tendency to fold in on himself like a child.

“It’s Seungkwan, isn’t it? The blonde one?” Wonwoo guessed, knowing his friend’s type(s) (he had a couple different ones) well. Mingyu just sank even lower in his chair (so low that Wonwoo could feel his feet hit the front legs of his own seat) and Wonwoo felt that he could take that to be a resounding admittal of his infatuation.

“I saw him in there once and almost hit my head on one of the lamps hanging from the ceiling, but I finally talked to him the last time I went in,” Mingyu admitted, sitting back up as much as he could, his shoulders still slinking just a tad.

“I actually almost walked out but for a brief moment, I decided I would ask for his number.”

“But…” Wonwoo finished Mingyu’s thought, eager to hear about the new and exciting way Mingyu had managed to embarrass himself.

“But,” Mingyu reiterated, shooting Wonwoo a glare, “I chickened out and just told him I forgot I wanted another mini cheesecake instead. He looked at me like I was a dumbass.”

Wonwoo tried his best to hold in his laughter, to no avail, reveling in the way the tables had turned on Mingyu since he had made fun of his first encounter with Soonyoung.

“Well, I guess I’m not the only one who’s into  _ sweets _ , huh?” Wonwoo chided, uncharacteristically giddy (that had been the case since he’d been dating Soonyoung, but having something on Mingyu always managed to up his mood) and Mingyu just faux-scoffed, clearly hiding a chuckle.

After some good-natured teasing, the pair paid their bill and Wonwoo insisted they should head to the pâtissierie. Who was he to deny his friend the opportunity to flirt as much as his little heart wanted (though his real motivation was the opportunity to watch Mingyu make a fool of himself).

As they walked, Wonwoo noticed that Mingyu’s face was still tinted pink from Wonwoo’s interrogation earlier.

“Just relax, Gyu,” Wonwoo tried to reassure him, the tender feelings he and Mingyu seemed to always abandon in favor of sarcasm finally surfacing, “I’m sure you just caught Seungkwan on a bad day. He’s also one of those people who doesn’t seem to filter his emotions at all. He’s very expressive, it’s like every thought he has shows on his face.”

Mingyu just huffed a sigh as they approached the Wanderlust Pâtissierie’s door, and Wonwoo held it open for his friend.

Much to Wonwoo’s chagrin, the pâtissier who greeted the pair of them upon entry was none other than Boo Seungkwan.

“Ahh, hey Wonwoo,” he greeted him with a nonchalant smile, wiping his trademark hospitality grin off his face when he saw him, “and friend,” he continued, eyeing Mingyu suspiciously. Mingyu, despite having an inch or two on Wonwoo and being able to fit nearly two Wonwoos inside of his much wider frame, was clearly trying to hide behind his friend. If he had a tail, it would have been in between his legs at that very moment.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Seokmin grinned, emerging from the back and leaning his head on playfully upon Seungkwan’s shoulder, to which the younger shot a dissatisfied glare and shook him off.

“Seungkwan, Seokmin,” Wonwoo said, stepping aside and forcing Mingyu into the spotlight, “This is my friend Mingyu. He’s actually the owner of Kim’s Butcher Shop, just a couple blocks up from you guys.”

“I thought I’d seen you in here before,” Seokmin said, reaching a hand over the counter to shake Mingyu’s hand.

“Oh, you’re a butcher!” Seungkwan laughed, “I always wondered why you had bloodstains on your clothes… I was worried you were a murderer or something.”

Mingyu chuckled at Seungkwan’s deadpan wit and his face reddened just slightly.

“Nice to meet you guys,” he said, shaking Seungkwan’s hand after a gulp, which signaled to Wonwoo that he was trying to calm himself down, “You’re both just as funny as Wonwoo’s told me.”

“Well,  _ we’ve _ met before,” Seungkwan insisted, “You come in to buy mini-cheesecakes a lot, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” Mingyu admitted with a defeated laugh, but soon smiling at the delayed realization he had of Seungkwan’s comment meaning he  _ remembered  _ him.

When Soonyoung appeared in the doorway, it was to a chorus of Seungkwan and Seokmin cheering him on in various exaggerated ways that clearly picked at Soonyoung’s nerves (“Ahh! The man of the hour! Le Grand Chef Pâtissier!”). Soonyoung was clearly attempting to remain serious and professional, to no avail, a series of laughs breaking his composure as the pair showered him with praise and embraced him.

“Your beloved is here, sir, and he brings a friend!” Seokmin declared, theatrics laid on thick.

Wonwoo introduced Soonyoung to his friend, and Mingyu, being Mingyu, word vomited a bit about what an honor it was to  _ meet the culinary genius behind this fine establishment  _ and sang his praises of Soonyoung’s perfectly airy, not too sour or sweet, cheesecake, which was well-received from the hammy pâtissier. Oh, how that man loved to have his ego stroked.

Before Wonwoo knew it, he was trapped between four culinary artists engaging in an intellectual and egoistic circle-jerk about their livelihoods, so he sought to distract Soonyoung by sneaking behind the counter and rubbing the small of his back, which always worked. The couple shared stories about their day with each other as Mingyu prattled on to a very-interested Seokmin and a somewhat-less-interested Seungkwan about his favorite pâté recipe. Wonwoo noticed that Seungkwan’s eyes dipped down and back up Mingyu’s frame at least twice, clearly checking him out, and attributed his lack of interest in Mingyu’s words to the distraction of his handsome looks. Mingyu, of course, was too oblivious and distracted by recounting the ingredients of his pâté to notice this.

It was no shock to Wonwoo that Mingyu was able to capture the hearts of his boyfriend and his friends. They seemed to all be cut from the same culinary stock, a bunch of dreamers and doers that refused to settle for the mundane. Though Wonwoo felt at home, he still struggled to find his footing and figure out where he fit into all of this. What was his passion? Where would he find it?

That was, in fact, the third thing Wonwoo had discovered in getting to know Soonyoung better.

The realization had been a long time coming, but it really hit Wonwoo on one particular Sunday afternoon. He was dreading the work-week and had made a habit of spending his free afternoons with his boyfriend at the pâtissierie, trying out his new recipes and even hanging out in the back with him sometimes while he worked. He had heard back from a couple of firms and businesses that he submitted applications to, but none of them seemed like the right fit. None of them were able to capture his passion or his interest.

He wondered what might as he watched his boyfriend roll out the dough for his mini chocolate croissants, which had become one of Wonwoo’s favorite treats to enjoy during his early morning rush to work. However, Wonwoo thought Soonyoung looked  _ much  _ more scrumptious than any of the pastries in his repertoire right now (as much as Wonwoo loved to joke about the claim Soonyoung made when he first met, he had far and away proven that he was, in fact, sweeter than any of his little creations).

Wonwoo couldn’t help but absentmindedly sidle up to his boyfriend while he worked, wrapping his arms low around his waist and leaning his head on Soonyoung’s shoulder.

“Come on, that’s not fair,” Soonyoung complained, always flustered at the slightest touch from Wonwoo, “You know I have to get these done. The sooner I do, the sooner we get to go home and actually spend some time together.”

“How ‘bout I help, then?” Wonwoo asked, starry-eyed and smiley as he gazed at his boyfriend.

Soonyoung laughed at Wonwoo’s offer, but quickly quieted himself, cleared his throat and gave Wonwoo a reassuring hand in his own.

“I’m sorry, you just caught me off-guard, that’s all,” Soonyoung stopped his work and thought for a moment as he held a thumb to his chin, “Sure, let me show you how I do this batch and then you can work on the second one. I already have it all rolled out.”

He sliced the dough into small, neat triangles and then grabbed the metal bowl that contained the chocolate filling and showed Wonwoo how to fill each croissant and roll them, prompting him to try one himself.

“You don’t want to fill it so much that it will ooze a ton but you want to make sure it has a nice amount of chocolate in it,” he said, watching Wonwoo’s ratio and helping him roll his first croissant.

“That’s perfect,” Soonyoung remarked after watching Wonwoo finish a couple of croissants himself, “Keep doing them like that, I’ll cut the rest of this dough and then we can work on them together!”

It was then, working side-by-side with his boyfriend, that it seemed to strike Wonwoo all at once. He paused in the middle of rolling a croissant and turned to face Soonyoung, even more love sparkling in his dark eyes than before (if that was even possible).

Soonyoung eventually notice Wonwoo’s gaze, so he met his eyes.

“What?” he chuckled.

“I like this,” Wonwoo smiled.

Soonyoung looked at him like he was crazy but smiled and agreed, “Me too.”

“You’ve been complaining a lot lately about how you need more help around here.”

“Wonwoo,” Soonyoung said, catching on right away to whatever crazy path his boyfriend seemed to be heading down. He grabbed Wonwoo’s hand and held it, giving him a reassuring look as though he was about to explain to a child that Santa Claus isn’t real and was trying to let them down gently.

“You’re not a baker or a chef… You haven’t been to culinary school.”

“I don’t mean that,” Wonwoo laughed, grabbing Soonyoung’s hand and holding onto it tight with both of his, rubbing his soft flour-covered knuckles with his thumbs, “I mean… Maybe I could help you with the business-end of things and then you’d have more time to focus on this. Maybe… I could even help you expand or grow the business.”

Wonwoo had begun to speak in his scheming-businessman voice and Soonyoung wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Wonwoo, you know I’m content with  _ this  _ shop. I don’t want anything else. You’re always trying to convince me to open a café or try something else… I’m fine here! I don’t want to expand, I don’t want to go corporate-”

“That’s not what I’m saying, Soonyoung! You don’t realize the way you have the people of this neighborhood eating out of the palm of your hand, literally! A couple more locations doesn’t mean you’d be selling out.”

Soonyoung worried a bit with his teeth on his bottom lip, pouting slightly, the way he always did when he was deep in thought. Wonwoo thought about how would give his eye-teeth to know every thought that was running through his cute little head.

“Soonyoung,” he pleaded, grip still firm on his hand, “We don’t have to talk about expanding or anything, and I know you might think it’s a risk since we’re... Dating and stuff… but I know you need help around here and you’d greatly benefit if you had more time to spend on your craft.”

Soonyoung’s pout did not recede but his eyes met Wonwoo’s again and seemed to be filled with much less doubt.

“You wouldn’t have to pull late nights cooking the books or finishing up work if I came in and did it during the day! We’d have more time to spend together…”

Soonyoung’s pout had begun to turn into a slight smirk as Wonwoo droned on.

“Just give me two weeks. Two weeks, and if you’re not happy with me, we’ll forget I even asked and I’ll take one of the other job offers I have. I promise-”

“I’ll do it. You’re hired, Jeon Wonwoo.”

Wonwoo was in shock for a moment, but he just pulled his boyfriend into a tight hug, only pulling away to grasp his shoulders tightly and plant kisses on his forehead and cheeks.

“You won’t be disappointed!” Wonwoo exclaimed, going back to rolling his batch of croissants.

“I just have one stipulation,” Soonyoung said, a smug tone coating his honey voice.

“You have to call me ‘Chef’ in bed,” Soonyoung smirked and Wonwoo laughed as he took a spoonful of the chocolate filling and smeared it right down Soonyoung’s nose, following behind with a kiss to clean it up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited this one stringently since i feel like I've been bad with editing my work up until now... also, this is one of my favorite chapters, it's one I imagined writing from the very beginning and it makes me really happy. Hope I made you smile.  
> I want to thank anyone who has read, commented, and left kudos thus far!! You are all precious to me and I love you. Go eat a sweet and remind yourself that you deserve the world!!  
> check out @soonuwus on twitter for more bullshit (I'm looking for more mooooots lets be friends!!!)

**Author's Note:**

> I want to say that you can expect weekly updates but don't hold me to that... You can find me @soonuwus on twitter but I am also going to be inactive for a month, so if you want me to see your comments right away, here might be better!


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